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RICHMOND - TV presenter and comedian Joe Rogan is planning to campaign for the controversial Ultimate Fighting Championship to be hosted in Richmond, according to sources.

Besides touring as a stand-up comedian, Rogan hosts TV shows such as Fear Factor and UFC, a mixed martial arts competition for professional fighters.

In 2007, Vancouver City Council, after allowing seven UFC events, banned the sport from being hosted anywhere in its municipality, declaring it was too violent and could be a legal liability.

Great Canadian Gaming vice-president Howard Blank says UFC is the No. 1 request of customers at the River Rock Casino Resort.

But when Rogan's bandwagon rolls into the River Rock Casino Resort March 21 as part of his stand-up tour, he intends to approach city hall to convince them UFC would be a winner in Richmond.

And if Richmond says "thanks, but no thanks" to letting the casino host a UFC event, the massively popular show may go to Coquitlam, where Rogan also intends to plead his case.

"[Joe] plans to speak to either Richmond or Coquitlam with a view to allowing UFC to take place in one of those cities," said River Rock's Howard Blank, vice-president of casino owner Great Canadian Gaming.

"He will maybe talk to them about how regulated the sport is and perhaps how it's not as bad as is being made out."

UFC events are usually watched live by a large audience at a venue, such as a casino, and also beamed live via pay-per-view to homes and packed bars across North America.

Rogan is regarded as the voice of UFC and that's why Blank is happy to let him do all the talking when it comes to canvassing city hall.

"That's why Rogan is exploring this on our behalf as he knows more about it than anyone," Blank added.

"If and when he approaches the city we'll talk more about it then."

UFC fighters don't wear any form of protection, aside from fingerless padded gloves, and compete inside a caged ring until one of them submits, much like they do in professional wrestling.

Many consider the sport too violent. But since UFC, which started in 1993, was banned in Vancouver, a community organization called UFC Vancouver was formed in a bid to bring the sport back to the city.

Asked if he'd like to see UFC come to the River Rock, Blank said: "Of course I'm interested.

"It's the number one request we hear from our customers and, after all, we're in a customer service business, so we have to listen to that.

"Without taking anything away from boxing events, it's something that we'd very much like to try.

"And as people know, when we do things, we do things properly and we do it big."

However, Rogan might have a job on his hands convincing the City of Richmond to bend the rules to allow a UFC fight to take place.

City spokesperson Diana Waltmann told the News that an event such as a UFC bout is considered a prizefight under the Criminal Code and is not regulated by the Athletic Commission.

"There's a bylaw set up to regulate boxing and our council has determined that professional boxing is something that comes under the rules of the Canadian Boxing Federation," Waltmann said.

"Such types of UFC events, unless they meet the guidelines, will not meet the bylaw."

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